Automatic circuit-closer.



PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

J. L. RUSSELL. AUTOMATIC GIRGUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES'LAURIE RUSSELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,048, dated March 22, 1904.

Application filed November 2, 1903. Serial No. 179,433. (No model.)

To all whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LAURIE RUssnLL, 'a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit-Closers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is especially applicable to illuminated signs or advertisements, and particularly to that class wherein lights, preferably differently colored, are intermittently flashed upon a transparency; but it will also be useful wherever anautomatically-operated intermittent circuit-closer is desired.

I shall describe my invention in connection with an electric advertising-sign; and in this relation the objects of my invention are to provide an improved automatic sign or advertising apparatus of. the class mentioned that will be attractive in an advertising sense not only in itself, but for its mechanism, simple in its construction, and one wherein the use of complicated and expensive clockwork is dispensed with.

In accordance with my invention I provide a hollow walking-beam, preferably of glass and partly filled with a fluid. Oooperatively arranged with relation to the walking-beam is one or more heaters, which by its or their action upon the contents of the walking-beam operate to shift the fluid back and forth from one end of the walking-beam to the other, and thereby oscillate the walking-beam, constituting, in effect, a motor. In the best form of my invention the heaters are lamps, which are automatically and intermittently operated by the operation of the walkingbeam. Also these lamps are preferably arranged in a casing having a wall made transparent in whole or in part and bearing a sign, advertisement, 'or the like, so that the alternate operations of the two lamps will intermittently illuminate the transparent wall. The attractiveness of a plan view of a sign or advertising apparatus embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Having reference to the drawings, 1 represents a casing or box which is made with a removable front wall 2, the latter beingmadc transparent in whole or in part and bearing a sign, advertisement, or the like. (Not shown.) Casing 1 upon the inside is made with two shelves 3, one at one side of the casing and the other at the opposite side thereof, and one shelf 3 supports an electric lamp 4 and the other an electric lamp 5.

Fixed to the top of easing 1 and upon the outside thereof are two posts 6, in which are fixed the ends of a bar 7, and journaled on the bar 7 is a hollow walking-beam S. This walking-beam 8 is herein shown as comprising a glass tube 8, fixed near its middle to a metal stem 8, through which the bar 7 extends. At each end tube 8 is enlarged, as at 8, and within the tube 8 and enlargements 8 is confined a fluid, such as alcohol, which partly fills the walking-beam. The stem 8" of the walking-beam extends through a slot 10 in casing 1 and at its inner end carries a contact, herein shown as a carbon pencil 11. Within casing 1 and fixed to the under side of the top wall thereof are two spring-contacts 12 and 18, arranged one at each side of stem 8 so that when the walking-beam is in one of its two positions pencil 11 is against contact 12 and when in its other positionit is against contact 13. One of the posts 6 is connected by awire 14; with a switch 15, which in turn is connected with one line-wire 16. One end of the filament of lamp 1 is connected by a wire 17 with contact 12, and one end of the lilament of lamp 5 is connected by a wire 18 with contact 13, while the other ends of the filaments of the two lamps are connected by a wire 19, and this wire 19 is connected to the other line-wire 20. \V hen pencil 11 is against contact 12 and switch 15 is closed, a circuit through lamp 4 is completed, and this circuit is from line-wire 16 to switch 15, through wire 14:, post 6, bar 7, stem 8, pencil 11, contact 12, wire 17 lamp 1, and wire 19 to the other line-wire 20. V hen pencil 11 is against contact 13 and switch 15 is closed, a

circuit through lamp 5 is completed, and this circuit is from line wire 16 to switch 15, through wire lt, post 6, bar 7, stem 8", pencil 11, contact 13, wire 18, lamp 5, and wire 19 to the other line-wire 20. It will also be clear that when the circuit through one lamp is completed, as above described, the circuit through the other lamp is open.

Above each lamp an opening 21 is provided through the top wall of easing l, and when walking-beam 8 is in either one of its two positions one of the enlargements 8 is immediately above one of the openings 21 and the circuit of the lamp at that opening is closed, so that that lamp acts to heat the contents of the adjacent end of walking-beam 8. hen the contents of the lower end of the walkingbeam is thus heated, it is forced either by its own expansion or by the expansion of the air in that end of the walking-beam through tube 8 into the enlargement at the opposite higher end of the walking-beam. As soon as enough of the contents has been shifted from the lower end of the walking-beam to the upper end thereof to make the upper end heavier than the lower end the upper end falls by gravity into a position immediately above the other opening 21, and at the same time the lamp at this opening is lighted, while the lamp at the lirst opening is extinguished. The contents of the walking-beam is then shifted back to its lirst position, which returns the walkingbeam to its first position, after which the operation continues to be repeated automatically as long as switch 15 remains closed.

It will now be seen that lamps lz and 5 serve as heaters to act upon the contents of the walking-beam and that the walking-beam controls these lamps automatically, so that a novel motor is produced, and that when this motor is embodied in a sign or advertising apparatus, as herein shown, the lamps can be made to serve also to illuminate the sign or advertisement.

Preferably one of the lamps, as 4, has a colored bulb, so that its light is colored, and wall 2 shows this color when lamp t is lighted, while lamp 5 is not colored, and wall 2 shows white when said lamp is lighted. This changing of the color of the transparent wall 2 adds greatly to the attractiveness of the apparatus, while the motor itself is a matter of curiosity and interest to the spectator.

lVhile the novel motor above described is particularly adapted to the use herein shown, I do not limit this feature of my invention in this particular, as it is obvious that the motor by itself can be used otherwise than in connection with an illuminated advertising apparatus, and it is, furthermore, obvious that the motor can be adapted to control heaters and lamps other than electric to effect the ends I have in view, though the electric lamp for obvious reasons is especially well adapted.

Over each opening 21 projects a shield 22,

and when either enlargement 8" occupies its lowermost position the shield 22 covers the end of the tube 8 and shields it from the lamp,

so that the heat of the lamp can act only on the extreme end of the walking-beam. These shields 22 cause all of the movement imparted to the fluid to be toward the upper end of the walking-beam, as I have found from practice that if the tube 8 is not shielded entirely from the heat of the lamp part of the fluid will move toward the upper end of the walking-beam and part toward the lower end, which is objectionable.

1 claim- 1. A hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking beam; a heater cooperatively ar ranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a heater cooperatively arranged with relation to the other end of the walkingbeam, and means for operating the heaters to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter.

2. A hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking beam; a heater cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walkingbeam; a heater COilpOIzItlVOlY arranged with relation to the other end of the walking beam and means for o )eratin the heaters al-- ternately to *ause the fluid in the walkingbeam to shift and oscillate the latter.

3. A hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking beam; a heater cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a heater cooperatively arranged with relation to the other end of the walkingbeam, and automatic means for operating the heaters alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter.

4c- A hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking beam; a heater cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walkingbeam; a heater cooperatively arranged with relation to the other end of the walking-beam, and automatic means controlled by the walkin g-beam for operating the heaters alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter.

5. The combination with an automatic motor comprising a hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking-beam; a lamp or the like cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a lamp or the like cooperatively arranged with relation to the other end of the walking-beam, and means for operating the lamps alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter, of a casing inclosing the lamps and made with a transparent wall.

6. The combination with a motor comprising a hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking-beam; a lamp'or the like cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a lamp or the like cooperatively arranged with relation to the other end of the walking-beam, and means for operating the lamps alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter, of a casing inclosing the lamps made with a removable transparent wall.

7. In combination, a hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking beam; an electric heater cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; an electric heater cooperatively arranged with relation to the opposite end of the walkingbeam; circuits for said heaters and means for operating the circuits and heaters alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter.

8. In combination, a hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the Walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to the opposite end of the walk-' ing-beam; circuits for said lamps, and means for operating the circuits and lamps alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter.

9. In combination, a hollow walking-beam; a fluid in said Walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to the opposite end of the walking-beam; circuits for said lamps and a switch controlled by the walking-beam for operating the circuits and lamps alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter.

10. In combination, ahollow walking-beam; a fluid in said walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to the opposite end of the walkbig-beam; circuits for said lamps; a switch controlled by the walking-beam for operating the circuits and lamps alternately to cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter, and a casing inclosing the lamps and made with a transparent wall.

11 In combination, a hollow walking-beam made with an enlargement at each end; afluid within and partly filling said walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to the opposite end of the walking-beam; circuits for said lamps; a pair of fixed contacts in said circuits; a movable contact in said circuits op-' erated by the walking-beam, and a casing inclosing said lamps made with a transparent wall.

12. In combination, ahollowwalking-bea1n made with an enlargement at each end; afluid partly filling said walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged with relation to one end of the walking-beam; a lamp cooperatively arranged, with relation to the opposite end of said walking-beam; circuits for said lamps; a switch controlled by the walking-beam for op erating the circuits and lamps alternately to 5 cause the fluid in the walking-beam to shift and oscillate the latter, and a switch for controlling said circuits independently of the walking-beam.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, 7 0 this 29th day of October, 1903.

JAMES LAURIE RUSSELL.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR F. RANDALL, J osnrn T. BRENNAN. 

